There are many definitions and interpretations of greatness. Some equate it with happiness, others a sense of importance. Whatever the definition, at some point we all strive to achieve it on some level. The following is meant to illustrate one way greatness can be achieved.
When you wake up in the morning, say thank you! Weather, you’re having a good morning or a not so good morning. Say thank you. While you’re eating breakfast and you don’t have time to finish then get cut-off in traffic and spill your coffee all over your shirt before your morning meeting. Say thank you! Appreciate the moment. When you get to your meeting and realize it’s with your daughter’s fourth grade class and you’re not sure if they’re even going to care about what you have to say. Say Thank you! Then, when you’re back at your desk and you notice that your work load has doubled but your pay has not. Say thank you! Throughout the day, say thank you. Even when you are faced with challenge after challenge after challenge.
Remember gratitude is a powerful quality that can move mountains. See there are always going to be things that are outside of our control. But what is within our control is how we react to those things. So on your way home from work when you’re stuck in traffic and your about to run out of gas, Say thank you! And then work calls to tell you they need you to work through the night and deliver a mission critical report by the morning. Calm down first, and then say thank you!
When you finally make it home and you feel you’ve had the worse day in history and all you want to do now is sit quietly in a corner but you can’t because your daughter is slowly approaching with an envelope. In that moment when all the pressures of the day weigh on you like a ton of bricks and you open this envelop knowing its going to be the straw that breaks the camel’s back, pause. Because you thought you were going to find another problem but instead you find letters from all of your daughter’s 4rth grade classmates telling you, thank you for coming to speak with them. Telling you how you impacted each and every one of their lives on a deep and positive level. In this moment you begin to understand the power of gratitude and how greatness is forged.
In life we all have good and bad days. But sometimes, every now and then, we get to be great! We get to be selfless and transform the lives of others in ways we never thought possible. Be grateful for every moment. for you never know who’s life you are impacting with your spirit kindness and gratitude. And one day, the life you are impacting may be your own.